Writing press releases is an essential part of any PR campaign. It’s one of the first things you should do when launching a new product, service, or business. Press releases are essentially a way to spread information about your event or newsworthy item to get more people interested in it and hopefully help generate sales for your business.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Understand the crucial elements of a press release. |
| 2. Craft a compelling headline that grabs attention. |
| 3. Provide newsworthy information in the lead paragraph. |
| 4. Structure the body with relevant details and quotes. |
| 5. Emphasize the “Five Ws” (who, what, when, where, why). |
| 6. Include multimedia elements for visual appeal. |
| 7. Distribute your press release effectively using platforms. |
| 8. Build relationships with journalists for wider coverage. |
| 9. Follow up to remind journalists and offer more details. |
What Is A Press Release?
This is the mother of all press releases. It’s an announcement about an event or newsworthy item.
Press releases are written in the third person and distributed to media outlets, who may then publish them on their websites or in print newspapers. The purpose of a press release is to attract the media’s attention so that they write about it.
A well-written press release will often be turned into an article, which helps spread awareness about your product or service or whatever you’re trying to get people interested in hearing more about!
Creating press releases that catch the world’s attention is an art. Learn how to craft press releases that have the potential to go viral with our comprehensive guide on creating press releases that go viral.
Know Your Audience
It is important to define your audience. You may think that it’s easy, but it is not always so. When writing a press release, you need to know who your target audience is and what they want from you in the first place.
This means more than knowing how many people are in their demographic and geographic location because knowing this information doesn’t tell us anything about their preferences or interests. It does not tell us if they have a problem that needs solving, or if there are specific things about your business that would appeal directly to them.
So when thinking about who your ideal customer is (or who will be interested in reading/receiving this press release), ask yourself these questions:
- What do I offer?
- How can this help them?
- What kind of person am I targeting with my message?
Write The Right Way
Now that you know what to write, it’s time to learn how to write it. This section will cover some of the basics of writing style and grammar.
- Keep It Simple
You want your reader to understand what you’re saying and not have to go back and reread your press release multiple times to figure out what happened. Make sure that every sentence is easy enough for a kid in middle school or high school English class to understand on the first read-through.
If there are too many complicated words, then people will get frustrated with reading them and may even stop reading altogether and that’s not good for PR!
Don’t Use Jargon or Fancy Long Words Just Because They Sound Good (Even if They Are Real Words)
If you’re writing about something technical like software development or electronics engineering, then I’m sure there are plenty of specialized terms for all sorts of things related specifically to those industries but when writing for general audiences who aren’t experts on these topics, don’t use them either.
There’s nothing wrong with using big words as long as they make sense; however, if they don’t make sense at all because they were made up by someone else who doesn’t know how regular people talk (or maybe even misused deliberately), then these kinds of phrases should be omitted completely because they’ll only confuse readers instead…
Crafting an effective press release requires a careful balance of strategy and creativity. Discover valuable insights and guidance in our article featuring 17 tips for putting together a press release.
Create Your Press Release Title
Create a catchy title. A catchy title will grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read more.
Use a short, to-the-point headline. Don’t use complex words or include unnecessary information in your headline. Keep it simple so that the reader knows exactly what you’re talking about right away.
Make sure the headline is relevant to the content of your press release and vice versa! This means that if you’re writing about an event that happened last week, don’t make your title say something like “Coming Soon:
The Biggest Event Ever!” because it makes no sense (unless it does). Instead, call out exactly what happened at this event by saying something like “Biggest Event Ever: Our New Product Launch.” If possible, try making this phrase rhyme with other parts of the press release for extra emphasis—it’s fun for both writers and readers!
Use a tone appropriate for your target audience by referencing specific details from previous articles written about similar topics for readers who are unfamiliar with these concepts to feel included as well (just do not overdo it).
Put Your Audience’s Needs First In Your Press Release Subtitle
The subtitle of your press release is important. It’s the first thing the audience will read, so make sure it’s a good introduction to the article.
You should put yourself in their shoes when writing this section, and ask yourself: “How do I want to be addressed?” If they are looking for help with a specific problem, offer them a solution or answer in this section.
Use your headline as an opportunity to ask questions that are relevant to your target audience – you can use it as an opportunity to demonstrate expertise on a topic or industry by offering free advice (see below).
If you’re writing about a solution that works well for everyone else in general but not necessarily for your company specifically, then say so! For example: “This product helps others solve their problems more efficiently than ever before.”
Startups have unique needs when it comes to press releases. Dive into our resourceful guide presenting 9 essential tips for writing press releases for startups to ensure your startup gets the attention it deserves.
Add A Date To Your Press Release Title
You should add a date to your press release title. The date is important because it helps to establish the newsworthiness of the story, and it allows you to piggyback on trending events. If possible, try to include some sort of notable event or number in your title as well (i.e., “2nd Annual Flu Shot Giveaway”).
The date should be written in YYYY-MM-DD format: for example, 2018-02-01 or 2017-12-31. This makes it easier for readers and search engines alike to understand what year it was released and whether there’s any significance attached to that particular day (i.e., if there was something important happening around then).
You want your reader’s eye drawn directly down through the middle of each word so they’re able to see all three sections at once; this will help them feel comfortable with reading through everything before clicking away from the page entirely!
Grab Their Attention With A Compelling Opening Paragraph
The first thing you need to know about press release writing is that the opening paragraph is the most important part of your press release. This is because it’s the first thing that potential readers will see, and if they don’t find your opening sentence compelling or interesting, they won’t read on.
Here are some ways you can grab their attention:
Use a hook. Reporters and editors have very little time to read through dozens of releases every day and often even less time to write articles based on them!
The best way to ensure that your release gets noticed is by using an attention-grabbing line or phrase at the beginning. For example: “The world’s largest unicorn has died.” Or: “An alligator walks into a bar…” (I’m not saying those sentences are equally effective in getting people interested in reading more, but hopefully, you get my point.)
If possible, try including some numbers in this hook as well it’s easier for us humans than words alone when it comes to making sense of our surroundings!
Ask questions. People are naturally curious beings; if we’re presented with something strange or unusual (like another person being eaten by an alligator), our instinctive response is often “What?!” followed immediately after by “Why?” And if there isn’t any good reason why something happened then maybe there’s still hope for humanity after all.
Use The Next Two Paragraphs To Expand On Your Lead
Your next two paragraphs should expand on the lead. In the first sentence, give a brief background on the topic so that readers can better understand why it is newsworthy.
Use your second sentence to introduce your main topic and explain why this topic is newsworthy (i.e., what makes it different from similar events or products). You can also refer back to your lead statement here if necessary!
Finally, for paragraphs #3 and beyond: In these final paragraphs you’ll want to include any additional details or facts that aren’t included in your lead but are still relevant and worth mentioning you may want to include some statistics or other numbers if they’re important (or interesting), but don’t go overboard here; keep things brief!
Mastering the art of press release writing is crucial for any effective PR strategy. Explore our article packed with 15 tips for an effective PR through press release writing and enhance your media outreach game.
Explain What Makes News Worthy About Your Product, Service, Or Event
How do you know if your product, service, or event is newsworthy?
Ask yourself these questions:
What makes it special?
Why would it interest people? Think about what makes your event unique and different from others. Is there something exciting about the way you are doing this, or does this bring up an important issue that should be discussed more frequently?
How do you plan to make your product or service accessible to consumers so that they may benefit from its use (or purchase)? Do you have any plans for expanding into new markets, such as online sales or local stores?
Include Quotes From Key People Involved In The Launch Of The Event
You should also include quotes from key people involved in the launch of the event. This can be from a speaker or someone who will be attending the event.
You can use this section as an opportunity to showcase why your attendees need to attend this particular event. If a keynote speaker is involved, write about how excited they are about what you have planned for them at your event!
If you have any special guests or speakers (which you do), then make sure that they are included in this section as well. They will add credibility and authority to your press release and help sell more tickets!
Make Sure You’re Using Real Facts And Statistics When Possible
The best way to make your press release stand out is to use real facts and statistics. When possible, use statistics that are relevant to your audience, product or service, event, company, or industry. For example:
If you’re writing a press release about your software development company’s recent acquisition of another company in the same industry as yours (let’s say you offer mortgage software), include some of the following stats from Forbes magazine:
The number one industry for women entrepreneurs is healthcare services at 3%
The average annual income for women-owned businesses in 2008 was $39k compared with $15k for male-owned businesses
If you are reporting on an event like SXSW Interactive (which happens annually in Austin, Texas) and want to get people excited about attending next year’s conference, include these statistics from Forbes magazine:
SXSW Interactive has grown from 400 attendees in 1997 when it began as a music conference called South by Southwest Music Festival into a tech festival attracting 20k attendees today according to Mashable.
State Why You’re Sending Out This Press Release
Your press release headline should clearly state why you’re sending out this press release.
Your goal with the headline is to get your readers interested, so they’ll read what you have to say. You want them to think: “Oh boy, this is exactly what I need! Why didn’t I think of that?!?”
The best way to do this is by telling them exactly what problem or issue you can help solve for them.
Your company name may not be well known yet, but if people can identify with your product or service and see how it will benefit them and if they know why you were chosen for the job then all other things being equal (price, quality, etc.) then people will tend to choose products from companies and brands whose values align with theirs
Think About Including An Interview With Someone Related To This Press Release Topic
Interviews are a great way to get a different perspective on the story. If you’re writing about healthcare research and policy, for example, an interview with someone who’s experienced some sort of medical issue might help make more relatable points.
Interviews can also add a human element to the story. If you’re writing a press release about an event such as The World Series.
The Super Bowl and want to give readers something more than stats and numbers, adding interviews from people who were at the game could help bring it all together for readers who aren’t familiar with either team or sport (and maybe even give them some new ideas for things they’d like to do this weekend).
Lastly and perhaps most importantly interviews are often used by publications because they add credibility and expertise to any piece of content being presented.
Whether this is true or not depends largely on the publication itself: if you’re talking about how your company has changed its hiring practices after hearing concerns from employees about diversity issues within their industry (for example), then including outside perspectives will likely make things easier when pitching your story later down the line!
Learning from experienced professionals can greatly improve your press release writing skills. Gain valuable insights from our article discussing lessons learned from an experienced press release writer to refine your PR communication techniques.
Add Important Details About Your Company And Current Contact Information To The End Of The Press Release
If you’ve written a press release, you should add important details about your company and current contact information to the end of the press release.
Contact information for the company: If a reporter or other interested party wants to contact you or your organization directly, they’ll need to know how to reach you. You can include this information at the bottom of your press release in several different ways.
Some people like providing only their phone number so that reporters have one direct way of reaching them without needing any additional information about the location (which may change), email addresses (which are often considered private), etc. It’s up to what works best for your company!
Contact information for the person who wrote this press release: This is an optional addition but one that many businesses find helpful when distributing their articles online because it gives journalists another way (besides emailing) to contact them if needed.
In addition, it’s great if someone has more questions about your company after reading through an article written using content from its site (or elsewhere).
Review, Edit, And Proofread Before Sending It Off For Approval And Distribution!
After you’ve finished writing your press release, it’s a great idea to review it for spelling and grammar errors. The last thing you want to do is send a press release out with an embarrassing typo or mistake that makes you look bad.
The next step is to check the accuracy of any facts or statistics in your press release; this includes checking for typos, as well as ensuring that all statistics are up-to-date and accurate.
Next, take a look at the clarity of your writing: has everything been stated clearly? Have you used examples where they would help readers understand what’s going on? Are there places where people might get confused? If so, consider editing them until they’re crystal clear!
Then we come back around again: has anything made sense so far? If not…it’s probably time for one more pass before submitting it!
At this point, we’re getting ready to submit our work but first, we need one final check over our shoulder before sending off our masterpiece into cyberspace (or wherever else!).
Make sure no typos have slipped through unnoticed by reading through each sentence slowly and carefully while making sure all words are spelled correctly (and if they aren’t…just reach up here and tap away!)
Conclusion
If you’re looking to get your business or product out into the world, a press release is an essential tool. There are some things you should know about how to write one.
In this blog post, we’ll walk through what makes up a good press release and how to make sure yours is ready for distribution.
Further Reading
For more information and insights on press release writing, you might find these resources helpful:
How to Write a Press Release – Copy.ai Learn the essential steps and tips to create a compelling press release that grabs attention and delivers your message effectively.
A Complete Guide to Writing an Effective Press Release – Marketing Donut Dive into a comprehensive guide that walks you through the process of crafting an impactful press release that resonates with your audience.
How to Write a Press Release – MediaHQ Explore this guide to discover expert advice and best practices for writing press releases that generate media interest and coverage.
FAQs
Here are some common questions related to press release writing:
What are the key elements of a press release?
A standard press release should include a headline, subheadline, dateline, lead paragraph, body text, boilerplate, and contact information.
How do I make my press release newsworthy?
Focus on the “Five Ws”: who, what, when, where, and why. Present the most important information at the beginning and highlight the unique aspects of your story.
Should I include multimedia in my press release?
Yes, adding images, videos, or infographics can enhance the visual appeal of your press release and make it more engaging for journalists and readers.
How do I distribute my press release?
Consider using online press release distribution platforms or building relationships with journalists and media outlets to increase the chances of your press release getting noticed.
Can I follow up with journalists after sending a press release?
Yes, a follow-up email or call can be effective in reminding journalists about your press release and offering to provide additional information or arrange interviews.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.